One Beatle Changed ‘The Simpsons’ Forever

When a TV collection has been on the air for a while, there are sure to be continuity errors. The Huge Bang Idea had Leonard (Johnny Galecki) clarify to Howard (Simon Helberg) how the elevator’s been out of order for 2 years, just for a later episode to indicate that Howard was there to witness the unique explosion that truly knocked it out of fee 5 years earlier. So, how does a present like The Simpsons—quickly to wrap up its thirty fifth Season—cope with continuity? By not coping with it in any respect. Irrespective of what number of occasions Homer (Dan Castellaneta) has introduced Springfield to the sting of nuclear annihilation, he is proper again in Sector 7G the next week. Maggie has the identical pacifier she’s had because the starting, each Bart (Nancy Cartwright) and Lisa (Yeardley Smith) are perpetually at Springfield Elementary, by no means to maneuver on to Springfield Junior Excessive (is there even one other faculty in Springfield?

Nevertheless, there’s one change that has been carried over that is fairly distinctive, and it is one of many only a few that has to do with the titular household itself. It has been in place since 1995, and the driving power behind it’s none aside from the dwelling legend and former Beatle, Paul McCartney.

“Lisa the Vegetarian” Adjustments the Standing Quo on ‘The Simpsons’

“Lisa the Vegetarian,” the fifth episode of The Simpsons seventh season, begins with the household visiting a fairy tale-themed amusement park, Storytown Village, and Lisa is captivated by the cute little lambs on the petting zoo. They arrive house and settle in for dinner with an ill-timed feast of lamb chops. Lisa cannot convey herself to eat any, as she retains listening to the unhappy bleating of the petting zoo lamb. Marge (Julie Kavner) affords Lisa rump roast, rooster breast, and even sizzling canine, however to no avail—Lisa cannot cease enthusiastic about how they have been as soon as dwelling creatures, and decides then and there to turn into a vegetarian.

Afterward, Homer decides to host a barbecue, and Lisa brings a gazpacho instead. After being ridiculed by the meat-loving attendees, Lisa takes a driving mower and drives off with Homer’s roast pig, which she pushes off a slope earlier than Homer and Bart can cease her. Again house, Homer and Lisa get right into a heated argument which ends with Lisa leaving the home, indignant and damage by her household not respecting her new way of life alternative.

Apu (Hank Azaria) later confides in Lisa and tells her that he serves tofu canine on the Kwik-E-Mart, and that he has been for some time. He escorts Lisa to his rooftop backyard, the place she meets Paul and Linda McCartney, who’re additionally vegetarians. They educate Lisa that it is okay to have her personal views, however that she has to tolerate the views of others in return. Lesson discovered, Lisa returns house, apologizes, however declares that she goes to stay a vegetarian.

Paul McCartney Is the Motive for Lisa’s Vegetarianism

From that time on, Lisa was a vegetarian, with solely one controversial exception the place she ate a Scotch egg (she spit it out and was full of “deep remorse,” so it would not depend). Whereas it definitely suits the character, why that exact trait got here to be continuity is odd, that’s till you hear the story behind it. When “Lisa the Vegetarian” was being written, McCartney was the one dwelling member of The Beatles who hadn’t appeared on the present. Ringo Starr guest-starred in 1991’s “Brush with Greatness,” writing again to Marge to thank her for her portrait of him, a long time after receiving it. George Harrison was within the basic 1993 episode, “Homer’s Barbershop Quartet,” which was stuffed with Beatles references from begin to end. McCartney was excessive on their wish-list of visitor stars, and showrunner, David Mirkin, thought that the episode would appeal to McCartney, as he was a vegetarian himself. McCartney agreed to look, however on the situation that Lisa stays a vegetarian for the remainder of the collection.

The workers agreed, and McCartney was on board. In addition they invited Linda McCartney to look, as nicely, and she or he jumped on the alternative, seeing the episode as an opportunity for her and Paul “to unfold the vegetarian phrase to a wider viewers.” Not solely did Paul and Linda seem, however Paul used the episode to poke enjoyable at long-standing rumors of his “demise” and the apply of backmasking hidden messages. Within the present, Paul tells Lisa, “Linda and I each really feel strongly about animal rights. Actually, should you play ‘Possibly I am Amazed’ backwards, you may hear a recipe for a extremely ripping lentil soup.” However with the assistance of producers, he performed one of many best guest star gags within the present’s historical past, recording the recipe for his lentil soup, which was then reversed and performed through the closing credit, with McCartney including, “Oh, and by the best way, I am alive.”

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McCartney gave his reasoning for the request, saying, “We have been a bit fearful that she can be vegetarian for every week, then Homer would persuade her to eat a sizzling canine.” And though the writers have been tempted, Lisa nonetheless stays a vegetarian, true to their phrase. Hank Azaria gave a reason why he believes that they have not, saying that, “The writers in all probability haven’t as a result of they made that vow to Sir Paul. No, you do not break a knight’s vow. As we have discovered from Game of Thrones, you try this at your individual threat.” As recently as 2020, Mirkin confirmed that McCartney nonetheless checks, “and he is at all times surrounded by 9 or 10 legal professionals, so it is fairly scary.”

Paul McCartney Is not the Solely ‘The Simpsons’ Visitor Star Who Had Particular Circumstances for His Look

Paul McCartney’s situation for his visitor look on The Simpsons might have altered the course of the present going ahead, however he is not the one visitor star to have positioned circumstances on their appearances on the present. Dustin Hoffman, who performed a substitute instructor, Mr. Bergstrom, in Season 2, requested that his actual title not be used within the credit, and instructed “Sam Etic” as a pseudonym. Bette Midler requested that her anti-litter marketing campaign be promoted for her look, which the writers obliged by turning her into an anti-litter vigilante in “Krusty Will get Kancelled.” Stephen Hawking had just one request for his first look, and per showrunner, Al Jean, “He did say at one level he didn’t wish to be drunk onscreen. That was the one notice we received from him. He did not thoughts having a beer with Homer at Moe’s [in the end of “Lisa’s Brain”], however no more.”

The strangest, although, simply could be Michael Jackson’s look within the first episode of Season 3, “Stark Raving Dad,” an episode that’s famously missing from Disney+. As a result of authorized restrictions, Jackson could not seem below his actual title, and was credited as “John Jay Smith.” His file label would not permit for him to sing on the present, an issue given the “Pleased Birthday Lisa” duet with Bart that closes out the present, forcing the present to convey out a Jackson impersonator by the title of Kipp Lennon to sing the tune as an alternative. Because of this “Pleased Birthday Lisa” was sung by Lennon pretending to be Jackson, whereas Jackson performed a personality named Leon Kompowsky who thought he was Jackson, with Jackson enjoying the position below the pseudonym John Jay Smith. Yeah, it was rather a lot.

The Simpsons is out there to look at on Disney+ within the U.S.

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